Migration Initiatives

Cambodia's porous borders, under-developed infrastructure, poverty, geographic location and legacy of prolonged civil war render the country a major point of origin, destination and transit for irregular migrants. An increasing number of Cambodian irregular migrants are apprehended in neighbouring countries. Government operational and administrative capacity needs to be enhanced in the area of migration management. Responses include cross-border technical cooperation, capacity building with regard to bilateral and regional border checkpoints, preventing migration-related crime, awareness-raising on the risks of irregular migration and improving labour migration management.

Trafficking in persons remains an increasing concern in the country and surrounding region. In order to combat trafficking, the capacity of Cambodia's relevant authorities is being strengthened to promote awareness-raising on the dangers of trafficking, to prosecute traffickers and to protect the rights and welfare of victims of trafficking.

Movement, Emergency and Post-Conflict Migration Management

Donors

Government of Canada

United States Refugee Programme (USRP)

IOM offers assistance for the resettlement of refugees and migrants. A range of services are provided including health screenings, pre-departure medical check-ups and transportation arrangements.

Main Projects

Resettlement of Montagnard Refugees to the USA

Resettlement of Montagnard Refugees to Canada

Cambodian Migrants (self-funded)

Migration Health

Donors

Government of Norway

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Central Fund for Influenza Action (CFIA)

IOM is committed to enhancing the capacity of the Cambodian government to understand and appropriately meet the health needs of migrants and mobile populations, with a particular focus on cross-border migration and communicable disease control.

IOM Migration Health Services provide medical evaluations for and documentation of prospective migrants and refugees being resettled in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The programme investigates, diagnoses and screens migrants for any infectious and chronic or acute diseases, making appropriate referrals, as needed. Since Cambodia has a high prevalence of tuberculosis, particular attention is placed on identifying this condition during health assessments.

Along the Cambodian borders with Thailand and Vietnam, IOM aims to enhance the capacity of the government and partners to respond to the health needs of migrants and mobile populations. A current initiative to strengthen migrant health services in border provinces is working towards the further mainstreaming of migrant health programming within the Ministry of Health.

Cross-border Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Capacity Building for Migrants, Host Communities and Border Control Agencies

Strengthening Safe Migration and HIV/AIDS Education and Life Skills among Outbound Migrant Workers and their Families

Regulating Migration

Donors

Government of Italy

United States Department of State - Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM)

United States Department of State - Office to Combat and Monitor Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP)

Government of Finland

In the area of trafficking, IOM's programmatic response focuses on strengthening the government's capacity to prevent trafficking and reinforce the structures required for the protection of and assistance to victims of trafficking.

In the area of technical cooperation, IOM is providing support in the consolidation of Cambodia's institutional capacity for effective migration management. In particular, IOM is concentrating on enhancing national administrative and operational capacities to combat terrorism and related cross-border crime. Cross-border cooperation is being promoted in the region, with particular reference to information exchange, building operational and administrative systems and related actions in the migration sector.

Donors

In the area of labour migration, IOM is focusing on building Cambodia's administrative and operational capacity, particularly for preventing irregular labour migration and protecting migrant workers. IOM also aims to increase regular labour migration options, provide assistance in securing opportunities for Cambodia's skilled and semi-skilled migrants and to raise awareness on safe labour migration through targeted information campaigns.

Donor

Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID)

IOM's 2009 hazard assessments in Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri provinces revealed a large percentage of local communities are at high risk to flooding (65 to 69 per cent), drought (73 per cent) and insect infestations. Environmental degradation, deforestation and climate change present additional challenges, particularly given the area's climate variability throughout the year.

IOM's recently concluded project, "Building Resilience to Natural Hazards in North-East Cambodia" aimed to decrease the vulnerability of Cambodia's north-eastern communities by enabling them to better prepare for, mitigate and respond to natural disasters. The project sought to increase the preparation and response capacities of communities for disaster management at the provincial, district and commune levels and will support community-based disaster risk management initiatives through Cambodian Village Disaster Management Teams.

Community resilience was enhanced through capacity-building activities and the mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiatives into local development planning processes. The project has two major components: 1) Capacity building and partnerships for DRR in Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri; and 2) Broadening of vulnerability mapping to natural hazards in Stung Treng.

The project was implemented in close cooperation with the Cambodian National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM).